


a thing that stops you dreaming

by thetruthmayvary



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Football Player Louis, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-04
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-22 09:48:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/911796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetruthmayvary/pseuds/thetruthmayvary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall’s a distraction, Liam’s a celebration and Louis’ an obsession.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a thing that stops you dreaming

When Zayn meets Niall, he's drunk and sulking.

Niall laughs loudly and constantly and he's sucked into his loudness and exuberance far too easily.

He hugs Zayn before he even knows his name, a stranger hugging a stranger; only it hardly feels that way.  And it's a full two arm, body heat sharing, head nuzzling in the crook of his neck kind of hug, not one of those one arm kind of disappointments.

When Niall introduces himself, Zayn can tell, even over the thundering music, that his voice is crispy and pleasant. He can tell that he'll want to hear more of it.

Even if it is just a distraction. Zayn's learned that those can be a great fun, too.

He lets Niall take him home that night. He interrupts his fits of laughter with needy kisses and he curls up into his sheets and enjoys his exuberance.

It's far too easy. Especially considering it's just a distraction.

-

When he meets Liam, he's sober and elated.

Liam's friendly and perceptive and he's suddenly infected with Zayn's liveliness and it's like a tornado that picks up a car along the way, but the car's pleased to be lifted off the ground.

Zayn kisses him four minutes after he learns his name. He pours so much of his relief and thrill and guilt into that kiss that Liam's left staring at him with wide eyes when it ends.

Zayn decides he likes him.  Liam takes what he gets and doesn't demand more and Zayn wishes he could be like that.

He takes Liam home – he can afford to do that, because Liam doesn't question him.

This time it's not a distraction.

It's a celebration.

-

When Zayn tells Harry about Niall, Harry concludes that he's good for him. Harry always had a thing for easy-going people.

“He does have blue eyes,” Zayn agrees and Harry shakes his head. In disbelief or annoyance at Zayn's predictability, Zayn can't be sure anymore.

“Would you fuck anyone with blue eyes?”

“No.”

“Then forget about his blue eyes, they're not the point.”

Zayn doesn't say anything because he knows what Harry's point is. Anyone who he actually met in real life is good for him. Or at least better than Lou.

Harry rolls his eyes and it's uncommon and Zayn takes it as a sign of how tired Harry is of him.

“Can I meet him?” Harry then asks and Zayn considers it.

“Sure,” he says after a moment because he knows you have to throw a dog a bone sometimes if you don't want him barking at you all the time.

-

When he tells Harry about Liam, Harry concludes that he's perfect for him. He thinks Zayn needs someone who'll accept him even with all the bits of him they know nothing about.

Zayn doesn't agree at all. But he tries to smile and think about the bone throwing.

“He even saw your room and still wants to date you.”

“What a catch,” Zayn says (the bone got stuck in his hand).

Harry pretends he didn't hear the sarcasm in his voice. “So when can I meet him?”

“Not yet,” Zayn responds, remembering how badly that whole ordeal went with Niall.

“Okay, so this weekend?”

“How does “not yet“ translates to “this weekend“?”

“Easily, if you're an optimist like me,” Harry says with a grin and Zayn can't stay mad at him for long.

-

Niall's an idiot.

It takes Zayn less than a week to realize that. He's okay with it, though – there are many kinds of idiots and Niall is the best kind. The kind that is convinced he can throw popcorns in the air and catch them with his mouth, but fails every single time he tries. The kind that trips over his own damn feet and laughs about it for about forty minutes. The kind that's willing to date someone like him.

This idiot smiles during every kiss and it's the best distraction ever.

-

Liam likes to kiss lazily. Zayn learns that fast and likes it quite more than he would've thought.

They lay in bed, Liam half on top of him, their lips slightly open and glued together, moving like they’ve barely got any will to live left.

It's intimate and that's scary, but Liam doesn't ask questions and Zayn holds onto to that like a lifeboat.

He thinks about how time for celebrating has passed and wonders idly what Liam is now, if not a celebration.

-

It's a Thursday when Niall comes over for dinner. It would sound illogical for Harry to make Zayn invite him over when he knows Niall hasn’t seen their place yet and when he wants their relationship to work, but Zayn knows Harry.

He knows Harry hopes Zayn’s finally going to pull it together. He knows Harry hopes Niall will be the motivation he thinks Zayn needs.

Harry cooks and Zayn tries to explain that he doesn't need to try hard because Niall's very easy to please food-wise.

Harry stills tries hard anyway because that's just what Harry does.

Niall kisses Zayn and hugs Harry when he arrives. They eat and Harry keeps throwing meaningful looks at Zayn that Zayn ignores.

Niall wants to see Zayn's room after the dinner, of course he does. Harry tries to stop him by showing him his guitar collection consisting of two whole guitars and that lasts for about 5 minutes and then Niall's back to insisting.

Zayn obliges.

Niall can't take it all in immediately, so those first few moments are alright. “Very colourful,” he comments. “You're a Manchester United fan?”

Zayn nods.

“And Louis Tomlinson's fan, obviously.”

Zayn doesn't nod. Fan is not really a good word for it.

Now Niall notices other things besides posters. The pillow case, the drawings, the calendar with circled dates, the newspaper cuttings...

“A very dedicated fan...”

It's over.

Zayn knows that Niall can now be anything but a distraction.

-

It’s his cousin who first takes him to see Lou play. Zayn's 18 and Lou has just signed for Manchester United 8 months ago. He's on the field for only 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes are enough for Zayn to fall in love.

He was never much of a football fan, but the way Lou runs across the giant field, the way he tackles the ball cleanly and almost gracefully and the way he pushes his sweaty hair of his face, makes him one.

Something changes that day, or rather everything changes. He finds out everything there is to found out about him, gets hold of every poster of him that was ever published and makes it his mission in life to meet him.

Harry thinks he's out of his mind but Zayn's too preoccupied by drawing a portrait of Lou's to notice.

-

The day he finally meets Lou is the day he meets Liam.

He goes to get tickets for the Manchester United – Aston Villa game and to get some coffee after, and there, at the register of a coffee shop he's never been to before and walked in now due to convenience only, he sees him.

He's dressed casually, a cup of coffee already in his hand. He turns to leave but Zayn steps in front of him.

After imagining this moment for four years, both wishing it and fearing it, he freezes.

“You're going to let me pass, mate? “

His voice sounds even better live than it does on TV, and Zayn stares bluntly for another few moments before he finally gets his act together.

“Do you mind if I get a picture first?” He manages to ask this with a smile that melts the awkwardness away and Lou smiles in return. “Of course not.”

He stops the first person he sees and asks them to take a picture that will an hour later hang above his bed.

-

Harry ends up meeting Liam the weekend he’s planned on meeting him.  By accident, he claims.

Zayn goes out to get drinks with Liam and somehow Harry ends up getting drinks with Ed at the same place.

Harry decides it only makes sense for all of them to get drinks together, now that they’ve already ran into each other my mere coincidence.

Ed and Harry talk about their music for an hour and Liam listens to them carefully and nods politely and laughs lightly when it's appropriate.

Harry then talks about Zayn and gifts him with so many compliments that Zayn wishes to slap him across his face for lying so blatantly.

It's all for Liam's sake of course, but Zayn can't help but wonder why Harry is taking it so far.

Liam nods politely and smiles honestly.

When Harry and Ed finally leave, Zayn thinks that it could've gone much, much worse.

-

Zayn learns it the hard way that you can't trust a certain characteristic of a person to linger.

He learns this when Liam finally starts asking questions.

He notices the date written in Zayn's tiny handwriting at the bottom of the framed picture of Lou and him. He also notices that it's the day they've met.

“You were so happy that night. I've never seen you that happy after that again.”

Not exactly a question, but it's still in a need of an answer.

“Maybe you haven't been looking close enough,” Zayn says. It's a stupid response, but he realizes at this point that the last thing he wants is to hurt Liam.

“Would I still be here if I have?” Liam asks and they both know the answer is No.

The problem is – Liam looks just close enough that night.

-

Food.

That's all Zayn can think about as he enters the apartment after an afternoon full of classes. Food that he hopes Harry would prepare for him if he asks him nicely.

The thought of food is erased from his mind instantly as he sees a topless Louis Tomlinson sitting on his couch.

First he thinks he's dreaming.

Then he thinks he's the luckiest guy in the world.

Then Harry walks in from his bedroom butt naked and he and Louis share a look before Harry notices Zayn and his face expression turns into one of pure bewilderment, and Zayn thinks he could strangle Harry with his bare hands.

Instead, he walks over to his room while Harry yells after him and locks the door.

He leaves the posters and the framed picture above his bed intact but he takes the picture of his desk, the one of Harry and him, and throws it into the wall as hard as he can manage.

The glass brakes into hundreds of little pieces, shattered like his friendship now feels.


End file.
